5 Reasons to Invest in Covers

Covers are one of my favorite additions to my cloth diaper arsenal! Versatile and cost effective, covers can be used in a variety of ways to meet the needs of you and your baby. Covers are swiftly becoming my go to diaper because:

1) If it's absorbent, it can go in a cover.
When I first started cloth diapering, I (wrongly) assumed that covers were meant to go over prefolds and only prefolds. (Full disclosure: I also had to have all of my inserts match the diapers they went in. Yeah, I was *that* cloth diaper mom.) Once I loosened up a bit and felt comfortable experimenting with my diapers, I realized that pretty much anything can go in a cover! Sure, flats and prefolds work, but so do fitteds. And inserts*. And folded up T-shirts, should the need arise (power outage plus snow storm, anyone?) If it's absorbent, it can go in a cover!
*Remember, microfiber cannot go directly against baby's skin! But adding a fleece or reusable liner as a buffer can work in a pinch!

2) One cover can be used over and over... and over...
One of the best, and most frugal, reasons to invest in covers is that they can be used multiple times! As long as the cover isn't soiled, most covers - such as Rumparooz, Best Bottom, Thirsties Duo Wraps, and Blueberry Coveralls - can be wiped clean to use again and again. (Some covers, such as GroVia hybrids, cannot be wiped clean but can still be reused if the inside is not saturated.) This saves money and helps cut down on the size of your diaper laundry.

3) See your favorite color or print on the butt longer!
Does your child seem to have a knack for pooping in your favorite pocket or AIO 10 minutes after you've put it on? Yeah, mine too. (I swear, I haven't seen our bumGenius Mirror 4.0 on the butt for longer than 20 minutes at a time. She. Just. Knows.) As mentioned, as long as poop hasn't managed to find its way onto the PUL, covers can be reused. This means you get to admire your favorite colors and prints a little longer! Covers are also great for matching diapers to outfits for pictures or special occasions.

4) A smaller footprint = less for Mom to carry.
Covers and inserts are my go to diaper system for on-the-go for one very simple reason - they take up less room in my diaper bag! I already have a ton to cart around - keys, wallet, cell phone, extra clothes, sippy cups, snacks, favorite stuffed animal of the day... etc. Pockets and AIOs take up a lot more precious real estate inside my bag than covers do, which means a heavier bag to carry and a greater likelihood that I have to leave something behind. Like snacks. And you never want to leave the snacks.

5) Use covers to prevent... blowouts from disposables?
When preparing to travel last fall, I turned to the Cloth Diaper Support Group for advice on how to survive a long car ride with cloth diapers. We eventually decided to use disposables for the trip, and one very interesting piece of advice stuck out - use covers over disposable diapers to help prevent blowouts! Who hasn't experienced a full on #2 disaster while using disposables?! Covers work wonderfully to keep messes contained should your baby's 'sposie leak, and I credit this brilliant idea with saving our car seat from Poopageddon on more than once occasion during that trip.

Want to add a few covers to your stash? Check out the amazing selection available at Kelly's Closet!

Bio: Jes Hughes is a stay-at-home mom to Wyatt and Charlie, as well as a Navy wife and wannabe crafter. In addition to cloth diapers, she also obsesses over books, shoes, and Sailor Moon.


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5 Reasons to Invest in Covers

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Back to the Basics

There are dozens of different brands and types of cloth diapers on the market, from the relatively cheap (though often more complicated) to the much more expensive (but easier). Often, it’s the expensive all-in-ones that are a gateway into cloth diapering. Parents feel like they can “handle” all-in-ones…and then they feel like they can handle pockets…and then they decide to check out prefolds and covers. It is a rare parent who feels up to the challenge of prefolds and covers as their first cloth diapering experience—but the truth is, in many ways, prefolds and covers are the easiest method of cloth diapering.

This week, I’ve gone back to the basics myself. Following a root canal, I’m on penicillin; and after a nasty experience with thrush when my third child was born, I’m well aware that if I’m on antibiotics, the odds that either the baby or I (or both) will end up with some yeast issues are fairly high. As a precautionary measure, I’ve been taking probiotics daily, bleaching every load of diaper laundry just to be safe…and using cotton prefolds and covers, which, according to a study I read back when I first started cloth diapering, won’t hold yeast through a wash cycle.

I had forgotten how much I like this very basic approach to cloth diapering.

I like that one cover can last me for the better portion of a day (unless she poops…which, because I have a limited number of covers, since that’s not my usual cloth diapering method, she is of course doing at least three times a day), and that if I’m matching it to an outfit, it can just keep on matching all day long. I like that it’s a quick and easy change—prefold out, new prefold trifolded into the cover, and done. I like that it doesn’t really stack up as much diaper laundry.

I like that they dry faster than any other diapering method—especially the handful of flats that have also made their way into my diaper collection. I like that they can be folded in a variety of different ways to customize absorbency if I need to. I like that they’re quick to fold—I do prestuff my covers, but it takes less time than stuffing pockets. I like that they’re super easy to wash—regular wash, maybe an extra rinse at the end, and most of the time, they’re good to go. No standing over the washer all day, hoping that whatever is in there will come out with a minimum of stink. (Hello, microfiber all-in-ones. I’m talking about you.)

I also like that it’s not the end of the world if something happens to a prefold. If baby has a massive explode-a-poop made of blueberries and, I don’t know, food coloring (I don’t usually let any of my children have this, much less the nine-month-old, but I guess it could happen) and it gets stained…no big. Prefolds don’t have a whole lot of resale value anyway.

I even kind of like the expressions on the faces of the nursery workers at church when I come in and say, “Oh, she’s in a prefold and cover today, sorry—but all you have to do is fold it like this and stick it in the cover. See?”

What about you? Do you have a few prefolds and covers in your stash, whether for “just in case” you run out of your other diapers, or because you use them regularly? What’s your favorite thing about them?

Reference: http://realdiaperevents.org/archives/cotton-prefolds-and-yeast-initial-results

By Emily


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Back to the Basics

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How to Lanolize Wool Covers

Lanolizing wool covers can seem like a daunting task if you've never done it before, but it's really quite simple! You will need:

• Wool Covers
• Sink / Basin
• Warm & Hot Water
• Lanolin
• Gentle Baby Soap

Basically, you are going to be washing your wool covers, making a lanolin infused bath, giving them a soak, and then letting them dry. Watch my video tutorial for an in-depth demo!

For more information on wool; check out the Wool 101 series


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How to Lanolize Wool Covers

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Prefolds and Covers at Daycare, OH MY!

When we first set out on our cloth diapering journey, my husband and I tried quite a few systems before we decided on prefolds. We knew our daycare was open to prefolds since another mother introduced us to them, but there were a few things we learned over time that have made things easier for both the daycare providers and us.

#1) PREFOLD your prefolds
Our providers occasionally have difficulty folding the correct way. For those of you who use prefolds, you know it’s not that difficult, but when you have four other toddlers screaming in the room it is SO much easier to simply throw it in the cover and go!

#2) Stuffing prefolds?
If you can provide extra covers each day, it works even better if you can prestuff your covers. It’s a little thing, but it helps the provider and ensures a better fit which helps prevent those little prefold corners from peeking out.

#3) Covers, covers and more covers
Part of the reason we chose prefolds was to save money on covers. We have learned over time that most of our daycare providers prefer a new cover each time. We started with sending three covers, now we use five, and it has made our provider much happier.

#4) CD safe cream
We orignally used a non-safe cream with liners but we found that often the provider would forget the liner or get cream on the prefold anyways. I finally purchased some CJ’s. Not only is CJ’s amazing, but no more errors and less scrubbing my prefolds!

#5) Wet bags
Wet bags have helped save my diapers in quite a few ways. The first is that the providers know that diapers move from the clean bag to the wet bag, instead of back into the clean bag: yuck! It also saves the trouble of the infamous “white plastic bag”, which can get misplaced or even THROWN AWAY.

#6) Liners, for some but not all
We originally used liners to help with the poops. It turns out that our providers prefer to simply place the folded prefold in the wetbag. This helped us since I no longer had to worry about throwing liners in with my diaper laundry; I had plenty of spraying to do anyways! However, the providers in the 2 year old room have let us know that they prefer the liners so we will be switching back. My best advice would be to provide liners, explain options, and let the provider choose.

#7) Covers with flaps
While we love our Blueberry, Imagine and Kissa covers, covers with flaps help prevent the “prefold sticking out” issue that has lead to LOTS of clothes changes at daycare and a good amount of frustration from our providers. For this reason, we try to use only covers with front and back flaps.

#8) To Flip, or not to Flip?
We felt that AI2’s would be awesome for daycare. We tried Flip’s. No folding, small and thin: perfect, right? For us, it was not. Even though we educated all of our children’s providers about “soft side up, letters down”, after three different “mistakes” I could not deal with another bum-burn. Daycare providers are busy and if you have a daycare like ours, there may be other teachers and substitute teachers coming in on occasion who may not be educated on which way to put a Flip. It may help to write “UP” on the insert. We simply went all prefold. No risk of putting microfiber against the bum and risking a burn. However, if you have a single provider, Flips are a pretty simple system.

If you are looking for a similar system, we have friends who use Best Bottoms successfully at our center. The snaps help the insert go in the right way and also prevents the issue mentioned in #7.

Overall, we have had a good experience using prefolds and covers with our daycare, but we have learned that we need to be flexible. Talk to your provider, let them touch/try things and try to tackle issues head on. It is possible to use prefolds and covers at daycare successfully!

Bio: Carrie Long - Wife and mother of two beautiful girls and one angel. Occasional speech language pathologist and animal rescue enthusiast.


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Prefolds and Covers at Daycare, OH MY!

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Wool 101 - How to Care For and Lanolize Wool Diaper Covers

Caring for wool doesn’t have to be scary. When you first receive your wool covers you’ll need to wash them and lanolize them. This is a two step process. Once you begin using your wool you should only need to wash and lanolize them every 3-4 weeks. You will need a gentle wool wash or baby soap and some lanolin. Some of our favorite wool washes include the Eucalan wool wash or the GroVia Wool Wash Bar. For lanolin we prefer the Sheepish Grins solid lanolin or the GroVia spray lanolin.

How To Wash Your Wool Covers:

1. Fill a small sink, bucket, tub or basin with lukewarm water and about a tablespoon of wool wash. Be sure to mix the wool wash in with the water to evenly distribute the wash. Add your wool to the water being sure that the water covers your wool. The water should appear to be a little cloudy at this point.
2. Gently saturate the wool and move it around in the water. You may want to turn your wool inside out at some point. Gently hand wash your wool until you feel like the dirt and grime is gone. It may be necessary to do this process 1-2 times with fresh water if your covers are really soiled.
3. Gently squeeze the excess water from the wool and set it aside for the next step; lanolizing.

How to Lanolize Your Wool Covers:

1. Start with clean wool covers (following the steps above).
2. Fill a small sink, bucket, tub or basin with lukewarm water.
3. In a separate cup or bowl add boiling hot water, a teaspoon of lanolin, and a few drops of wool wash (or gentle baby wash). The lanolin should dissolve in the hot water and you shouldn’t be able to see any clumps remaining in the wash water. Add to the sink of warm water and wool.
4. Gently saturate the wool just like you did during the first wash being sure to get all areas of the covers wet. You’ll want the lanolin to soak into the entire cover. Now let it soak for at least 15-30 minutes. Letting your wool soak overnight (or for about 8-10 hours) will produce the best results.
5. After soaking remove your wool covers and gently squeeze out the excess water by hand. The best way to remove the most water is to lay your covers between dry towels and gently press the water out of the cover.
6. Lay flat to dry and then your diaper covers are ready to use. Depending on your climate, the temperature, and humidity; your wool diaper covers may take a day to dry.

You will want to repeat this process every 3-4 weeks. You will know when it is time to lanolize your wool if they begin to leak or smell of urine after they are dry. You will also want to wash and lanolize wool covers if they become soiled with poop. Otherwise, just air dry your diaper covers between uses and allow them to dry.

If you have questions about wool diaper covers or washing wool feel free to contact us for assistance.

Other wool resources:
http://theecofriendlyfamily.com/2009/09/all-about-wool/
http://www.clothdiaperrevival.com/2013/01/back-to-basics-how-to-prep-use-wool.html
http://www.theinquisitivemom.com/2013/02/nifty-nappy-printable-instrucitons-for.html#.UV3IHZPVUpg
http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/how-to-lanolize-your-wool-a-quick-video-guide/
http://paddedtushstats.com/2013/03/06/the-quick-and-easy-way-to-wash-and-lanolize-wool-cloth-diaper-covers/

Wool 101 - How to Care For and Lanolize Wool Diaper Covers

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Wool 101 - How to Buy Wool Covers & How to Measure Your Baby

We explained some of the benefits of using wool the other day in our Wool 101 article Why Wool. Today we’ll explain to you how to buy wool covers, how to measure your baby, and some of the accessories you may need.

There are several brands that make wool diaper covers, longies, and shorties. There really isn’t much difference in their function but some are much more ‘fashionable’ and ‘trendy’ than others. EcoPosh and Kissaluvs wool diaper covers are very basic in their design and function just as well as their higher priced competitors. EcoPosh is only available in an umber (brown) color while the Kissaluvs is available in a natural or cream color. The Kissaluvs is a much softer wool and uses an ultra-fine Merino wool that has a cashmere feel to it. The Kiwi Pie wool cover by GroVia is another simple cover and is available in natural color but it has a blend of 95% merino wool and 5% spandex. Kiwi Pie feels super soft like the Kissaluvs but with a slight stretch to it from the spandex. If you’d like to hand dye your Kiwi Pie wool covers GroVia has created a tutorial for dying Kiwi Pie wool with Kool Aid.

If you prefer more fashionable and trendy colors you may like the sustainablebabyish/sloomb (also referred to as sloomb or sbish) wool covers, longies and shorties. Sloomb is available in a wide array of colors and the color selections tend to change each season. Sloomb knits at the softest machine knit wool in the industry. It’s not uncommon for parents to use Sloomb covers, longies and shorties in place of pants so that parents can show off their fashionable babies.

Once you decide which wool is for you, the next question you may have is “What size wool cover do I get for my baby?” Wool is available in size ranging from xs-large. To find out which size is best for your baby you’ll need to measure their waist, hip, legs (inseam), and rise. You can always go by the weight range but remember that your baby may be taller, shorter, slimmer, or bulkier than someone elses baby. You’ll want to grab a tape measure for this part; one like a seamstress would use is best.

Tips for measuring your baby for a wool cover:

• Waist - Measure at the baby’s natural waist. This is just at or above their belly button.
• Hip - Measure the widest area of your baby’s hips while wearing a prefold/flat/fitted diaper.
• Rise - Measure from the belly button, down through the legs and around to the lower back where the diaper would rest.
• Leg/Inseam - Measure from the bottom of the diaper to the floor with your babies leg straight. You can always add a half inch for room to grow.

What other accessories will you need to get started with wool diaper covers? You’ll need to decide what diaper you will be using with your covers. Pre-folds, flats, or fitteds are most commonly used with wool diaper covers; however wool could also be used over a pocket diaper at night to keep your baby even drier. You may need Snappi’s or diaper pins for your pre-folds and flats. Aside from that the only thing you’ll need is a gentle wool wash and some lanolin.

To learn more about lanoloizing and caring for your wool diaper covers come back tomorrow for our Wool 101 - How to Care For and Lanolize Wool tutorial.

Wool 101 - How to Buy Wool Covers & How to Measure Your Baby

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Wool 101 - Why Wool?

If you know much about the cloth diaper industry you may have heard about wool, wool covers, longies and shorties. While it is very popular among cloth diaper users, it may take awhile for a parent to try wool. With price tags starting at $35 and up it’s no surprise that many parents are hesitant to try wool due to the cost alone. Try to look past the initial investment for just a minute and let me explain why wool is sustainable, great for nighttime use, and yes, economical.

The wool used to make covers and other wool garments is harvested sustainably by shearing the wool of sheep. This is all done with no harm to the sheep and the raw wool is collected, washed, dyed, and spun into wool. This wool is then knit to create the desired shape.

Wool for cloth diapers can take the form of covers, longies, and shorties. The main differences between these are the length and how they fit your baby. Covers resemble any other diaper cover and fit over a fitted, prefold, flat or other diaper. Shorties (shorts) and longies (pants) work just the same as covers but they are longer and resemble clothing. In fact, many parents use wool in place of clothing.

Beneficial properties of wool:

• Antibacterial and anti-fungal - When properly lanolized (I’ll explain this process later) wool becomes antibacterial and will help keep your baby free of rashes.
• Breathable - Wool does not contain any PUL or waterproof plastics that would prevent air from reaching your baby. One of the greatest ways to keep your baby dry and free of rashes is to allow their bum to stay dry. Wool is also considered to be a good option year round because it’s so breathable. Even in warm climates wool will help regulate your baby’s body temperature and keep them cool (in the summer) or warm (in the winter).
• Bulletproof - This is one word that make take some time to understand how something breathable can also be bulletproof. The natural properties of wool allow it to absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture. It will actually absorb urine and pull it away from your babies skin. It won’t feel damp or wet on the outside either. We’ll just call it “Magical!”
• Economical - That’s right, spending $35+ on a wool cover (shortie or longie) is actually an economical diapering option. Unless you happen to get poop on your wool cover it can be reused over and over again for several weeks without needing to be washed. If it feels damp you simply lay it to dry until the next diaper change. We recommend having around 3-4 wool covers in your stash to allow them to air dry before using them again. You’ll know it’s time to wash it when you can still smell urine after they are dry. If you purchased a dozen flats or prefolds and 3-4 covers you could diaper your baby for around $150-170 (one dozen flats @ $24 and 4 wool covers @ $35 = $164). That’s about the same cost as 9 pocket diapers.

Are you ready to give wool a try? What other questions do you have? Join us back here later this week for tips on how to buy wool covers, how to measure your baby, and how to care for and lanolize your wool.

Wool 101 - Why Wool?

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From The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Archives: Why Prefolds Are Easier Than You Think

From The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Archives! This is a favorite blog post about how prefolds can be so easy to use. Originally posted on Jan.20th, 2011.

I found a new favorite cloth diaper. It is very absorbent and I never have leaks. It is affordable and easy to use.

No, it's not the latest pocket or all-in-one diaper. It's not fancy. There's not even a whole lot of science behind it. In fact, it's a little bit old fashioned. What is it, you may ask? It's the prefold.

Scary, yes, I know. When I first started cloth diapering my newborn four months ago, I scoffed at prefolds. Why use those ancient things when there are so many awesome new diapers on the market? But then I found out their dirty little secret: they are cheap and effective, and not nearly as difficult as I imagined them to be.

I decided to try prefolds one day because my rapidly-growing son had hit a point where I was struggling to get his diapers to fit him properly. He changed so much day to day and I was getting frustrated. I was also getting lots of leaks. And, with so many great, convenient diapers on the market, there just had to be a reason that some parents still prefered to use prefolds and flats. What did I have to lose? If I didn't like them I wouldn't be out a ton of money, and I could always use them as rags or burp cloths. I placed an order for half a dozen prefolds, a cover, and a Snappi, then searched the internet to learn the best ways to fold them.

My package arrived a few days later. I prepped the prefolds right away, so I could try them the same day; I am impatient like that. Then, skeptically, I put one on my two month old son for the first time. It actually looked like the ones I saw online! I was pretty darn proud of myself but I knew I had won the battle, not the war... how would it hold up when my son peed? Or, worse, had an explosive poop?

Perfectly, as I soon found out. I have not had a single leak since I started using prefolds. I had a couple instances where I had some slight wicking and his onesie got a little damp--my own fault, for not being more careful when putting on the covers--but never a real leak. Over the past two months I have fine-tuned the art of putting on a prefold. Not to sound too full of myself, but gosh darn it, I am good at it. I can jelly-roll those things like nobody's business.

So yes, I love my prefolds. They are much easier than I ever could have imagined, and very versatile as well. I like that I can let my son go coverless to let his skin breathe. I like that I have the option of using a fleece liner to help him feel dry. I like that I can still have fun with them, and can find prefolds in fun prints, or embellish them myself, or even dye them if I want to. And I love that, with the help of a hemp insert, my son wake up every single morning with dry sheets and jammies.

I still love (and use) my pocket diapers, and I know my likes and needs may change as my son grows. I am already learning how to deal with a very squirmy four month old, which presents a new diapering challenge. I am so glad that modern cloth diapers have made more people (myself included) hop on the cloth diapering bandwagon... but, sometimes, it's okay to be a little old-fashioned.  

By Shanon O.
The Up North Writer Mama

From The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Archives: Why Prefolds Are Easier Than You Think

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Fluff Friday 169

Fluff Friday:
New Swaddlebees Capri cover and insert (1 of each) a Rafflecopte r giveaway

Fluff Friday 169

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Simply The Best

When I was originally researching types of diapers to buy, I really liked the idea of AIOs and pockets due to their simplicity, but not the prices that went along with them. Flats were not an option as I needed something simple enough that a daycare provider would be able to use with ease. My middle ground ended up being prefolds and inserts –specifically Flip and Econobum. I bought a bunch of each from Kelly’s Closet and waited excitedly for them to arrive so I could begin using cloth diapers. While it took a little while to get used to and comfortable with cloth, things went really well. In fact, they were MUCH easier than we had expected! Now, after four months of exclusively cloth diapering, we have also managed to collect approximately thirty pockets, AIOs, and other covers as gifts, and from giveaways and freebies. These, in a broad assortment of brands and styles, gave us the ability to try many types that we never would have otherwise; and while I like them all to varying degrees (some quite a lot!), my unlikely go-to diaper has remained my covers (Flip or Econobum) with the Econobum prefolds.

Here are a few reasons why this has become my favorite diaper combination:

1. We give the Flip inserts to our childcare provider in order to keep things easy for her, which leaves us with the prefolds. Even though they require a little bit more attention, and I was originally a bit sad about not being able to use the “easier” inserts, I have definitely gotten over it! Now, I am glad to be “stuck” with the prefolds!
2. The prefolds are extremely absorbent. I am constantly amazed at how much they are able to hold, even twelve, fourteen, or more hours for that overnight stretch! I cannot remember the last time I had to deal with a leak when he was in this combination.
3. The covers are easy to manipulate. Maybe I am lucky and my baby is constantly “the perfect size,” but they always fit snug without leaving red marks and are easy to adjust. Plus they look simple, which kept my childcare person from feeling overwhelmed by lots of snaps, pockets, etc.
4. They keep in the “pooplosions”! Disposables leak, most of the pockets and AIOs leak for “the big ones,” and even the inserts can leak a bit at times. Not the prefolds. Those combined with a snug cover and nothing can ooze through! And I am talking about not even the runny stuff of my exclusively breastfed baby can find a way out of the diaper.
5. It is simpler than the “timesaving” options. I originally wanted pockets and AIOs because they seemed so easy –just take them off the baby when dirty, wash, dry, and put back on, right? Wrong. They have to be pulled apart when dirty, most of the washed parts have to air dry which takes a while, and then they have to be restuffed. With my prefolds I do not have to disassemble them when dirty, the prefolds go in the dryer, and the covers air dry very fast because there is no interior fabric. And my reassembly? Fold in thirds, place fleece liner on top (so baby stays dry), snap cover on, and go! I love it!
6. It is so much cheaper than the other versions. Now, would I like to own a few more pockets that have worked pretty well for us? Of course! But those are things I am limiting to getting through freebies, due to the fact that my cheaper ones still give me better results!

The only “downside” I have for prefolds are that they are currently a bit wide between my little guy’s legs (a “problem” which will be remedied as soon as he is big enough for them to be folded differently). But that is definitely a small price to pay for the good results we have had with them otherwise!

Everything considered, I am very glad I decided to order my covers and prefolds. I am happier with them than I ever expected I would be, and they go perfectly with our lifestyle!

Rebecca Brown is a busy mom who prefers spending more time with her little one, instead of stuffing diapers for him!

Simply The Best

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To Cloth or Not To Cloth

When my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our first my husband immediately jumped on the cloth diaper wagon for environmental reasons. I, on the other hand was so opposed it began our first "parenting war". My one and only experience with cloth diapers was when I lived overseas and worked in a baby hospital. The babies were clothed in muslin material from armpit to tip toe and the smell was enough to knock you on your backside. From that experience on I was determined to diaper the twenty first century way – disposables only (or so I thought).

Nine months after our second child made his great appearance I began questioning my strong beliefs. I sat down and being the Excel spreadsheet woman that I am I calculated the cost that we spent on our first son to get him from newborn to toilet trained and our second son from newborn to the nine month mark and I was shocked! For three plus years of diapers, wipes, and diaper genie refills I was pushing the $3,500 mark (that would be an awesome family vacation had I spent it for that).

I began researching and discovered many benefits to cloth diapering. I discovered that cloth diapering is much more than the first known of muslin material; there were even cute covers to make diapering a fashion statement not just a functional tool. To top it off the cost of cloth diapering from newborn to toilet trained was dramatically less! I presented all my findings to my husband and he gave me the stamp of approval to begin the purchasing of cloth diapers for our second son. Little did we know at that point that the diapers that I was purchasing for number two would soon be able to be passed down to number three!

For economical reasons my diapering stash began small. I had the mindset that I would begin cloth diapering my number two baby and see if I would handle it and then if it was "a go" then I would add to my stash to fit not only number two but number three as well!

My beginner stash consisted of:

• One Planet Wise Large Wet Bag
• One Planet Wise Diaper Pail Liner
• Planet Wise Wipe Pouch with 15 wipes
• Chinese Premium Unbleached Prefolds (Six per pack)
  
• Purchased twelve prefolds
• Tweedle Bugs Diaper Covers (Can purchase seconds which are "cosmetically blemished" for half price off their website)
  
• Purchased four covers
• Rubbermaid trashcan for a wet pail
• BacOut cleaning solution (For eliminating the smellies between washes in the pail)
  
• Dr. Bonner's Pure Castile Soap (Used with distilled water for my wipe solution)
  
• Two spray bottles (one bottle for BacOut and one bottle for wipe solution)
  
• Country Save laundry detergent (Approximately $200 was spent to get me started, if I used my supply for four months I broke even when comparing cloth to disposables.)
  

Thus began my cloth-diapering obsession!

By Andrea Kulow

To Cloth or Not To Cloth

Read the full story here...

Passing Down the Diapers to Little Bro

I am a 28 year old stay at home mom of two beautiful boys, ages 2 and 4 months!  We have been cloth diapering since my oldest was about 9 months old and we love it!

Since my oldest, Bennett, was already 9 months old when we began cloth diapering, we only had a stash of bumGenius OS, Smartipants OS, a few petite FuzziBunz, some OS fitteds, and some WAHM OS AI2s.  When we found out we were pregnant with number 2 and my oldest son was still in cloth diapers, I had to make a decision.  We obviously needed more cloth diapers, but I wasn’t sure what to buy!  I researched and just couldn’t decide what to use.  Should I buy some newborn diapers for our baby to wear for a short time?  I mean, I knew he would be a big baby (and he was!  8 lbs, 10 oz!) and he wouldn’t wear newborn diapers for long.  I didn’t know if I would like prefolds and covers, but that seemed to make the most sense.  Amazingly, we were very lucky to receive some newborn prefolds, fitteds, and Bummis and Thirsties covers from a couple of friends.  I also bought a couple of Lil’ Joeys AIOs….you know, for pictures!  :o)

When our second son, Donovan, was first born, I tried the Lil’ Joeys and also prefolds and covers and I just couldn’t get into them.  There was just so much going on and the diapers were frustrating me, honestly.  I decided to use disposables with him and stick with cloth for my 2 year old.  A few weeks later, when things slowed down and we got into more of a routine, I pulled the prefolds back out and I fell in love!!  How easy were these things?  You just lay them in the cover, fasten it up, and you’re good!  He didn’t move much, so they didn’t budge and it was awesome!! 

I love how it has worked out with my boys.  My oldest is now almost 2 ½ and potty trained pretty easily (thank goodness!), so he is wearing underwear during the day, just in time to pass on his OS diapers to his little brother, who is about 16 lbs.  They’ve worked so well for both kids and I’m so happy that I bought them.  I never really liked the bulkiness of OS diapers on my son when he was a newborn, so this has worked out perfectly.  I know many people do it and love it, but I can’t imagine buying a whole set of diapers for each size. 

My 2 year old is still using a OS bumGenius stuffed with two Smartipants inserts at night.  Some nights he stays dry, sometimes the thing is drenched.  But it’s no big deal, because I am washing my infant’s diapers every 2-3 days anyway!  Our wash routine is this:  cold rinse, hot overnight soak with Rockin’ Green Hard Rock Barenaked Babies formula, finish the wash in the morning, cold rinse, and dry!  SO incredibly easy.  I really think it’s easier than taking the bag of nasty smelling disposables out of the Diaper Genie and taking it to the dumpster!!!

By Gina  at captainfussybuckets.blogspot.com

Passing Down the Diapers to Little Bro

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Diapering At Daycare

When I found out I was expecting my third child six years after my second, I was excited about a number of things—nursing again….watching my big kids interact with the baby…living closer to our families than we had when our older children were new.  And I was also psyched to cloth diaper again. I had cloth diapered our second child when he was at home, but the daycare center we used was unwilling to use them at school. I had been disappointed about that—as were several of his teachers, who had cloth-diapered their own children at home, and would have been glad to do it at school if the policy had permitted it.

I started interviewing daycare providers for Baby #3 while I was still pregnant, but I didn’t have to look long. I was thrilled to find a daycare provider who was perfect for us: a family friend who cared for two infants in her home. She was just the kind of loving person I wanted to care for my child. When I asked about cloth, she told me she was already using cloth with one of her babies and was happy to use it for our baby, too. “I won’t wash them, but I’m happy to use them!” I started planning my new stash, and when Sam arrived, stocked up on a variety of pocket diapers, mostly one-sized. I knew he would be our last baby, so I decided OS would be the best value for us. I bought extra wipes and a zippered wetbag and we were ready to roll when I returned to part-time work when Sam was about three months old.

The transition to daycare went smoothly (at least as far as diapers go). There was a learning curve for all of us, since I had never used cloth with a daycare provider (and since things had changed, mostly for the better, in six years!). At first we had some leaking issues, but that was largely due to having to figure out exactly which snap settings Sam needed on each diaper. I had shopped sales so we had a variety of styles, a mixture of applix and snap diapers. Our daycare provider preferred the Velcro ones (“it’s easier to get a good fit on him, although they all work well”), but I had preferred snaps when cloth diapering my second child.

I found that I needed more diapers than I had anticipated (or needed to wash more during the week, which was a less appealing option with three children and a job). I ended up with a stash of ten one-sized pocket diapers (BumGenius, Happy Heinys, Kissaluvs, and Fuzzibunz) and 4 medium pockets (HH and FB). This was enough to get us through two full days at daycare (and to keep two “easy diapers,” as my mom calls them, in the diaper bag for outings). At home, we used prefolds and covers, reserving the pockets for daycare days and for weekends. I bought a total of about 4 dozen wipes, which was enough to keep a comfortable supply at both home and daycare.

Cloth diapering Sam at daycare was a success. If I were doing it over (and buying a stash designed for daycare), I would buy applix diapers in one style only. That said, our daycare provider didn’t mind using the snap diapers, although the variety of snap placements did make things confusing from time to time. A simpler stash would have helped with that. With my second child, I had a completely eclectic stash and I loved it—fitteds, wool, pockets. Needing to wash and stuff diapers at night (often late) made simplicity more appealing this time around. But we have been happy to be able to use cloth diapers round-the-clock with Sam—we haven’t needed to buy disposables at all!

Anne-Marie is a mom of three fabulous children (9, 6 and 5 months) in Northern New England.

Diapering At Daycare

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Keeping Me On My Toes

I started cloth diapering over 10 months ago.  My children were about 6 months old and 30 months old when we switched.  We started with prefolds and covers, and we got some hemp for over nights and pockets for my husband/errands.  Within two months, we were using cloth 99% of the time.  And within another two months, I only had one in diapers as my daughter decided to finally potty train (herself).  Life got easy – I had a routine, and things were working great. 

Then one day I decided to strip our hemp and prefolds because they were starting to smell.  It took longer than I thought, so I just used two microfiber inserts at night and hoped for the best.  And well, I learned he didn’t even need that.  I had noticed the prefold/hemp combination hadn’t been completely soaked before, but I was afraid to try less.  And having to use two microfiber at night proved to me he didn’t need all that stuffing.  So, I got to try some new options.  I settled on Econobums at night if I was changing, and a bumGenius 4.0 or KaWaii pocket stuffed with an Econobum prefold if my husband had our son that night.  I was actually happy about this.  It meant I got to use the hemp and more pockets during the day.  They are cuter than our covers and are trimmer.  All was going well, and I had a new routine.

And then I ordered some flats.  We are expecting #3 this summer, and I knew these would be great for the baby.  I also thought that would be good for a trimmer option to prefolds for our son.  The first day went fine.  I had to remember to change more often, but it wasn’t a huge deal.  I expected this since I had a few less layers of cotton on him.  Then came the second day – a day I learned my son had changed his habits!  I first put him in a flat with a Snappi.  My plan was to change him about an hour later, just before we went to church.  Within 20 to 30 minutes, there was a puddle!  He had leaked straight through the flat on to the floor.  I thought it was just because I hadn’t used a cover.  So, I snappied another flat on him and put a cover on top.  Less than 45 minutes later, he had leaked.  I thought he might have sat in something (like water from the bath tub since he likes to pour water on the floor).  But, by the time we got to church, it was clear that he had soaked the flat.  I changed him into his hemp pocket, and thought we were through with leaks.  Less than 3 hours later, he was leaking again!  The hemp combination had lasted us at least 4 hours in the past (when we are out and about without a good spot to change him). 

On the way home from church, I started thinking.  His night time diaper hadn’t been soaked.  But, he hadn’t drunk too much in the afternoon.  Instead, he drank a bunch that morning.  He was becoming more like his sister – able to drink two sippy cups of milk or water in a short period of time.  This is what had made her a heavy wetter, and now he is following in her footsteps.  So, now I have to rethink all of my diapering again.  I have to “monitor” his drinking and consider that when I diaper him.  On normal days, I can go with one flat pad folded for two to three hours.  I can go with a hemp insert for 3-4 hours.  But, other days I know I need to “double up” on his stuffing.

The challenge can be fun, but sometimes it is just easier to “overstuff” just in case!

By Stephanie U
Stephanie is a soon-to-be mom of three, all under the age of 4 years old.  She switched to cloth diapers of money reasons, and now is addicted to them.

Keeping Me On My Toes

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The Magical Material of Hemp

When I first though about cloth diapering, I looked into all my options – I checked out prefolds, flats, pockets, all-in-ones, fitted, covers, liners, and more.  I loved the idea of using prefolds or flats and covers but I was not in love with the Indian prefolds I checked out – it seemed a little too bulky for me.  Thankfully, someone suggested I look into hemp – I was fortunate to have a local diaper service here in Charlotte that had organic hemp flats as an option for weekly delivery and she gladly brought some over so I could check them out.  Up to that point, I had heard a little about hemp but had no idea what an important role it would play in my cloth diaper routine. 

Hemp has become such a popular choice in cloth diapering for a variety of reasons.  I initially chose to use hemp because it seemed far trimmer than comparably sized cotton prefolds.  I quickly learned that the trimness did not at all limit its absorption – in fact, hemp is far more absorbent than its cotton counterparts.  Estimates are that hemp can be three times to seven times more absorbent than cotton!  Hemp is also a more sustainable crop than cotton – it grows quickly on less land and requires little or no pesticides or herbicides.   This is a win-win for me!

I began my journey with hemp using Willow Sprout organic hemp flats and Babykicks hemp flats secured with a Snappi and covered with a Bummis Super Whisper Wrap or Thirsties Duo Wrap cover.  The combination worked great for my little guy during the day.  However, as my baby got bigger and slept longer, I needed a better nighttime solution than a hemp flat and a cover.   I started using pocket diapers at night – mainly Bumgenius or Fuzzibunz – but that wasn’t doing the trick either.  Hemp to the rescue… I took my hemp flat, folded it in half and stuffed it in the pocket as a doubler.  Perfect.  This worked so well but I kept a lookout for other hemp doubler options that might be a little less bulky.  I found that there were a variety of hemp doublers and inserts available so I began to try them out.  Hemp Babies Diaper Doublers provided a smaller alternative for stuffing into my BG or Fuzzibunz pocket.  These doublers are super thin – I could even add two – and they don’t add much bulk to the diaper at all. 

As my 7 pound baby tripled in size and became a 21 pound, five month old monster, I decided to test out hemp flats folded in half and used in a Flip cover.  Beautiful!  This option was super easy and was easy to execute – fold in half, tuck into the flip cover, put on baby.   With the success of hemp on my baby, I quickly realized that hemp would probably be a great addition to my toddler’s nighttime diaper.  We have Happy Heiny Trainers, Mother Ease, Green Acre Designs, and Fuzzibunz  in our toddler’s stash – adding a hemp doubler to these diapers has completely eliminated any “overflow” issues that we would occasionally experience at night.  No more wet sheets! 

Using hemp has worked out really well for us.  Hemp is naturally anti-microbial and anti-bacterial, I haven’t had any residual odor issues like I have had with some of my microfleece inserts.  Hemp washes well but it can take quite a while to dry!   Having spoken to other moms, the other downsides to hemp seem to be that if your child is a quick and heavy wetter, the hemp might not absorb the liquid fast enough so you might experience some leaking if you are using hemp alone.  Also, when you first add hemp to your stash, the prep time might take longer than you are used to!  Hemp requires 4 or 5 prewashes – washing and drying – before you can start to use it.  Don’t be surprised if the hemp shrinks a bit as well – and becomes softer with each wash.  Truthfully, the hemp might not even be fully absorbent for another 4 or 5 washes.  Of course, the final downside for some might be the cost.  Hemp definitely costs more.  But, in my experience, it is worth every penny.  Add some hemp to your stash and test out the magical mysteries of this material for yourself!

By Erin Brighton, MPH, M.Ed. – Charlotte, NC

The Magical Material of Hemp

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The Great Family Diaper Migration

How we made the shift from disposable to cloth diapers with baby #2

My husband and I brought our first born son home from the hospital in 2008, disposable diapers in hand and we never looked back.  We had considered cloth at that time, we even bought a few prefold diapers and a couple of covers, but they never made it out of the closet.  We were convinced, without trying, that it was too much work.  By age two we had spent over $2000 diapering.  Not only did we purchase regular disposables in all shapes and sizes but we purchased overnight diapers and swim diapers as well.  We were big consumers!

Early last year we learned we were expecting baby number two.  Not long after we found out we had a visit from inspiration.  A dear friend had just had her first baby and traveled from Virginia to Washington State (our home) to visit family and stay with us.  She arrived with all of her things including a supply of cloth diapers for her little boy.  I could not believe that she was traveling with cloth diapers.  How would she have time to visit with family and friends and wash and prep cloth diapers every night?  Well, she did it, she made it look easy, and she got me interested in pursuing it again.

So if she could do, I could, right? 

I started doing my homework by reading websites and blogs (like this one).  I asked my friend lots of questions. Then I sought out other friends (I found three more) that were using cloth and asked them lots of questions.  By the time my second little boy was born, we were ready.  We started with a small stash of diapers with a variety of pockets and some prefolds with a cover.  We waded into the world of cloth with some trial diapers and our nearly 9 pound newborn.  One thing I learned from my homework was to try before you invest to find what works for you. 

After only three days, we were hooked.  They were so soft and fluffy and washing really wasn’t that bad.  Why wouldn’t we do this?  Over the next two weeks we rounded out our stash with pocket diapers (this is what works best for us) and we were on our way.  We even bought cloth swim diapers for trips to the pool.  Not only did we convert for number two but our first son, who is potty learning now, is also converted, proving it is never too late.

We are just months into our cloth diapering adventure, so glad we did it, and we are not going back.  If we can do it with number two, so can you!

By Amy M.

The Great Family Diaper Migration

Read the full story here...

Fluff Friday 117

Fluff Friday
2-Bummis Super Lite Diaper Covers
1-Bummis Organic Prefold Cloth Diapers 6pk

Question of the week:
Do you use a different style of diaper when you are at home vs when outside of the home?  Leave your comment before Thursday, February 17th at 7pm EST. (You can only answer the "Question of the Week" ONCE PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY.)

Other ways to enter:

1. Head on over to The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Facebook Fan Page and become a fan. Post a comment with your facebook id as a comment to this post.
2. Follow @Bummis on Twitter. Come back and post a comment that you are a follower of Bummis.
   
3. Being a follower of our blog or subscribing to our blog, gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a follower.
4. Commenting in other posts during the week will give you ONE EXTRA comment PER EACH comment that you make. Simply post a comment on this one saying the title of the post where you wrote your comment. So, what are you waiting for?? Participating in other posts pays off!!! You must have your Blogger profile accessible to be selected as a winner.
5. Advertising the giveaway in a forum or other blog gives you ONE extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a advertising and where.
6. Using our button on your blog (or starting to) gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are using it and where.
7. Being a fan of our Facebook group gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Post a comment with your facebook id as a comment to this post.
   
8. Being a follower on Twitter gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a follower and your Twitter ID.
9. One entry for signing up for our newsletter at Kelly's Closet. Post a comment when you sign up or if you are already signed up.
   
10. Tweet @Bummis fluff friday #clothdiapers giveaway Enter at http://www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com/. Then come back and comment that you tweeted AND the exact tweet (not tweet id status).
11. Tweet any unique tweet with @diapershops #clothdiapers. Cut and paste your tweet (not tweet id status) and post as a comment. You can get 1 entry for EVERY unique tweet!
    
12. Being an affiliate of Kelly's Closet. Please post your affiliate id in your comment.
13. Place an order at any DiaperShops store between 2/10-2/17. Post your order # and order date in the comments.
14. Leave a product review at Kelly's Closet and return to the blog and comment which product you reviewed.
15. Start a thread about our giveaway or comment on a thread that is about or giveaway on any chat room (http://www.diaperpin.com/, http://www.diaperswappers.com/, etc) . Post the name of the thread AND the url of your comment.
16. Start a new discussion (or respond to a current discussion) on either DiaperShops Facebook or The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Facebook. Come back and leave a comment with the title of discussion AND which Facebook page you posted on as a comment to this post.
17. Become a fan of the founder of DiaperShops.com on her new Facebook page.  Come back to this post and leave a comment that you are a fan of the founder's Facebook page.
    

Have questions?? Visit our FAQ's.

How? We will draw one winner randomly with an "Online Number Generator" and will make a post with the winner on Friday, February 18th. It is the responsibility of the winner to contact us to claim their prize.

Who can participate? US Residents are welcome!

Important note about the winner: If we haven't heard from the winner by the closing time of next week's giveaway, we will choose another winner that will be published TOGETHER with next week's winner.

Good luck, and don't forget to tell all your family and friends about the giveaway! In case that you don't win, what a better person to win than a friend of yours!!

Fluff Friday 117

Read the full story here...

Call Me Old Fashioned: Why Prefolds Are Better Than You Think

I found a new favorite cloth diaper. It is very absorbent and I never have leaks. It is affordable and easy to use.

No, it's not the latest pocket or all-in-one diaper. It's not fancy. There's not even a whole lot of science behind it. In fact, it's a little bit old fashioned. What is it, you may ask? It's the prefold.

Scary, yes, I know. When I first started cloth diapering my newborn four months ago, I scoffed at prefolds. Why use those ancient things when there are so many awesome new diapers on the market? But then I found out their dirty little secret: they are cheap and effective, and not nearly as difficult as I imagined them to be.

I decided to try prefolds one day because my rapidly-growing son had hit a point where I was struggling to get his diapers to fit him properly. He changed so much day to day and I was getting frustrated. I was also getting lots of leaks. And, with so many great, convenient diapers on the market, there just had to be a reason that some parents still prefered to use prefolds and flats. What did I have to lose? If I didn't like them I wouldn't be out a ton of money, and I could always use them as rags or burp cloths. I placed an order for half a dozen prefolds, a cover, and a Snappi, then searched the internet to learn the best ways to fold them.

My package arrived a few days later. I prepped the prefolds right away, so I could try them the same day; I am impatient like that. Then, skeptically, I put one on my two month old son for the first time. It actually looked like the ones I saw online! I was pretty darn proud of myself but I knew I had won the battle, not the war... how would it hold up when my son peed? Or, worse, had an explosive poop?

Perfectly, as I soon found out. I have not had a single leak since I started using prefolds. I had a couple instances where I had some slight wicking and his onesie got a little damp--my own fault, for not being more careful when putting on the covers--but never a real leak. Over the past two months I have fine-tuned the art of putting on a prefold. Not to sound too full of myself, but gosh darn it, I am good at it. I can jelly-roll those things like nobody's business.

So yes, I love my prefolds. They are much easier than I ever could have imagined, and very versatile as well. I like that I can let my son go coverless to let his skin breathe. I like that I have the option of using a fleece liner to help him feel dry. I like that I can still have fun with them, and can find prefolds in fun prints, or embellish them myself, or even dye them if I want to. And I love that, with the help of a hemp insert, my son wake up every single morning with dry sheets and jammies.

I still love (and use) my pocket diapers, and I know my likes and needs may change as my son grows. I am already learning how to deal with a very squirmy four month old, which presents a new diapering challenge. I am so glad that modern cloth diapers have made more people (myself included) hop on the cloth diapering bandwagon... but, sometimes, it's okay to be a little old-fashioned.  

By Shanon O.
The Up North Writer Mama

Call Me Old Fashioned: Why Prefolds Are Better Than You Think

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Several Cloth Diaper Companies Launch New & Exciting Prints!

Two leading cloth diaper manufacturers have launched some new and oh-so-adorable cloth diaper prints!  Let's discuss what's going on:

GroVia's New Adorable Prints! First up, the GroVia Cloth All-In-Ones now come in super cute Mod Flower, Nature, Planes and Owls prints - these are totally irresistible to any cloth diapering fanatic (like us!)! These diapers offer a super absorbent, organic cotton inner layer to absorb wetness - and now they look even more cute and fun on the outside! We just love how GroVia has married function and fun in its new collection. You can get these fun prints in GroVia's cloth diaper Shell collection as well (shells go over prefolds or flats). We have them in stock too - check it out! 

You Won't Be Bummed When You See These Fabulous Bummis! Bummis has also come out with four fresh, fun and brand new Super Whisper Wrap prints! These wraps come in Rocket, Ladybug, Bloom and Big City designs - so cute! The wraps fit nicely over any prefold, flat or fitted diaper to give your baby a little extra style as well as keep messes contained! Bummis also came out with some new Super Brite prints too in Pistachio Polka Dot and Blueberry Polka Dot. Please be sure to check out our stock of Bummis products on our site!

Enjoy the new prints. It's exciting to be cloth diapering these days!

Several Cloth Diaper Companies Launch New & Exciting Prints!

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My Trio In Cloth

We started cloth diapering when my son was 9 months old and, like most moms, instantly fell in love.  We started with 4 BumGenius 3.0’s and I washed them everyday just for the joy of using them!  We soon increased our stash to 16 and we were full time cloth diapering!  I took extreme care in washing them- and they never once fell prey to the dryer. 

However, we were faced with a new cloth diapering challenge (among others) when three months later I found out that we were expecting twins- and oh what a shock that was!   As we were preparing for our two new bundles, whom would be only 18 months younger than our son, I just knew that I didn’t want to give up my beloved cloth diapers. The budget was definitely tight so I looked into prefolds with covers but with three kids under two convenience was going to be key.

I knew that sometimes diapers might not get changed as often as they should and I wanted our kids to feel as dry as possible.   One size pocket diapers seemed to be the only solution.  However, I knew that my beloved BumGenius were not going to cut it.  I needed a diaper much more durable- where I did not have to worry about line drying it to save the Velcro and elastic.  I needed a diaper that I could just throw in the dryer when my time was tight- which was most often.  Fuzzi Bunz came out with their new one size diapers and I thought, “Perfect”!  The snaps are very durable and the elastic replaces easily.  Even with the workload these diapers would have to endure it would be hard to ruin them!  I sold my BumGenius 3.0’s and invested solely in Fuzzi Bunz.

We waited until my girls were 6 weeks before we started cloth because they were too small for the diapers and I wanted to make sure we had figured nursing out before adding anything.  I was amazed to find that using cloth actually simplified life!  Our trash can was not overflowing anymore (and we didn’t have to pick up trash that the birds scattered) and I no longer had to change outfits due to explosions!  I dried the diapers in the dryer and didn’t stuff the pockets until I was about to use them.  It only took me 5 -10 minutes every other day to put away my clean diapers and throwing them in the wash is nothing!  I don’t have to worry about running to the store, which with three small kids is a major chore! Our savings is also incredible. We use Rockin Green detergent which really cuts down on me worrying about buildup.  My girls are almost 12 months now and our diapers are in good shape and we are all happy as can be! 

Also, now that BumGenius has come out with their 4.0 diapers I always recommend these for people in similar situations because they have a snap option and easily replaceable elastic.   Adjusting the size in the front may also be more convenient with multiple children in different sizes.  Also, I have come to greatly appreciate a prefold under a Thirsties Duo Wrap.   These seem to be bullet-proof against leaks!

By Sera M.

My Trio In Cloth

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